Steering device.



J. F. DOUTHITT.

STEERING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.25. 1910.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

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- vices, of which the other machines.

JOHN F. DOUTHITT, 0F BOONVILLE,INDIANA.

STEERING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I, Join: F. DOUTHITT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boonville, in the county of VVarrick and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering Detion, referencevbeing had to the accompanyin drawings. 7

his-invention relates to improvements in steering devices for use on automobiles and The object of the invention is to provide a safety device for automobiles, whereby when the machine is set to travel straight ahead it will be impossible for the steering gear to be actuated bothof the steering wheels with an obstructionon the road, and while my invention is especially adapted for use in connection with v automobiles-and other motor vehicles, it will .tion with motor be understood that itmay be used in connecboats and other machines having steering gear.

, With the above and other objects in view, the. invention consists of the novel construc-' l tion, combination and arrangement of parts,

. hereinafter fully described and claimed, and v illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which I *Figure 1 is aside view of a steering device embodying my invention. 'Figs. .2 and 3 are I longitudinal and transverse sectional views -Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views.

detail View of the catch.

In the present embodiment of the inven tion my improvedlock and lock-controlling .means for and it may be located at any suitable point throughout the length of said shaft, the'latter being formed in two sections 1, 2. The

upper section -1 is-- provided with the usual hand wheel or -otherv operating device 3, and

thelower section 2 is connected to any suit-, able steering ear indicated at 4, The section t is adapted to have a limited,

' Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April 25, 1910. Serial No.

following is a. specificasteering wheels set by the contact of one or Fig. is a w the steering gear is arranged in the steering shaft or bar of the automobile Patented Apr. 18, 1911. 553,481.

1, the-studs 6 being of less width than the length of the sockets 5, 'whereby the limited independent movement of the section 1 is obtained. This independent rotary move-,

ment of the shaft sectlonl isadapted to control a catch or lock, tive position-is adapted to hold the section 2 of th e steering shaft stationary with the to cause the machine to move straighta'head. 'The preferred' form of this locking device comprises a slidable catch or bolt 7 arranged in a suitable casing 8 adapted to be secured to any stationary part of the body of the automobile or other machine. The catch 7 has a rectangularshaped end 9 which is projected by a spring 10 into a similar shaped notch orseat 11 formed in the edge of a disk 12 carried by theshaft section 2; The projecting end-of the catch 7 is also formed with a V-sh aped portion 13, the inclined or converging faces of which form cams to co-act withthe .cam

faces 14 formed by-thevwalls of a'V-Shaped anotch or seat l 5 formed in oneedgeof a 16. Thisdisk 16 is opposedto the dlsk 12 and is carried by the upper shaft section 1."

The two. parts. 12, 1t3 are .pi-eferablyl'in the form of disks, although they may be ofother shape and of any size, When theyaremade separate fromf the shaft sections 1, .2, they are provided with hub portions IT to receive transverse keys 18, wherebyjtheyjare, The casing 8 secured to-theshaftsections. v for the spring-projected, :slidably" mounted, catch or bolt 7 may be. of any jam and construction, but as; illustrated itQis'fT- which when in its operashaped having its cross portion Iapertured to.

receive fastening screws, and its third branch" .made hollowto "slidably receive the 7 and the spring 10. i Any suitable. means may be provided for mounting the two shaft sections 1', 2 and maintaining them in 1 alinein'ent and. their disks 1,2,

.16 in opposition, if desired I may p ov e o th p er xt em ty. Qfi section 2 reduced, concentrically arranged,

cylindrical pin 19 to enten ta: socket,; 20' in.

the lower end oftheshaftsectionl.

In operation, when the s'teering gear' of the automobile is set to causethe move straight ahead, the seat 11 in the disk 12 will be opposite the end 9 of the catch 7, and when the notch or seat 15 in'the disk 16 is brought into register With the seat 11 in the disk 12, the spring 10 will project the machine to i the steering. wheels to cause the steering gear to be accidentally shifted. When it is desired to actuate the steering gear 4 to turn the machine in either direction, the upper shaft section 1 is turned in the proper direction, and through the limit of its independent rotary movement permitted by the shifting of the clutch lugs or pins 6 in the sockets 5. This movement of the shaft section 1 is sufficient to cause one of the inclined or cam faces 14 of the seat 15 in the disk 16 to coact with one of the inclined or cam faces of the portion 13 of the catch 7 so that the latter will be retracted against the tension of its projecting spring 10, and its end 9 will be withdrawn from the seat 11 in the disk 12,

' dentally thereby unlocking the lower shaft section 2. The continued movement of the upper shaft section 1 in the same direction will then be imparted to the shaft section 2 owing to the clutch formed by the parts 5, (3, and consequently the steering gear will be actuated. When the catch 7 is thus retracted it will be held against the edges or peripheries of the two disks 12, 16 and will not enter the seats or notches 11, 15 until the latter are brought into register or alinement. This may be done by turning the upper shaft section 1 by means of the hand wheel 3, as will be readily understood.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my invention provides an exceedingly simple and effective locking device for the steering gear of a motor vehicle, and that it will efieotively prevent the machine from being accideflected to either side of the road when its wheels strike stones, rats or other obstructions. Furthermore, the use of the invention will render steering much easier when the automobile or machine moves over rough roads because it will be unnecessary for the operator toconstantly-hold the steering hand wheel rigid in order to prevent the shifting of the steering road wheels.

While the. preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that I do not 5 wish to be limited to the precise construction set forth, since variouschanges in the form, proportlon and arrangement of parts, and

, opposite points,

7 having a in the details of construction, may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. The combination of a rotatably mounted shaft section, a second rotatably mounted shaft section arranged in longitudinal alinement with the first section, a clutch connection between the two shaft sections, whereby the second one may have a limited rotary movement independent of the first, opposing disks fixed to the two shaft sections, the disk on the first shaft section having a catch-receiving seat and the disk on the second shaft section having a seat formed with inclined or cam surfaces and adapted to be brought into register with said catch-receiving seat, and a spring-projected catch adapted to enter said catch-receiving seat and having a V- shaped portion to enter said seat having the inclined or cam faces.

2.- The combination'of a rotatably mounted shaft section operatively connected to the steering means, a second rotatably mounted shaft section arranged in longitudinal alinement with the first section, and carrying a handle, one of said shaft sections having a concentrically arranged socket to receive a concentrically arranged pin projecting from the opposing end of the other shaft section, and .one of said shaft sections having at arcuate slots to receive oppositely disposed sto lugs carried by the opposing end of the ot er by one shaft section may have a limited rotary movement with respect to the other, opposing disks carried by the opposing ends of the two shaft sections, one of said disks having in its periphery a V-shaped notch formed adjacent the cam surfaces, and the corresponding portion of the other disk having a recess with fiat walls, a stationary element and a spring projected locking catch arranged in said element for movement toward and from the edges of said disks, said catch having a flat faced portion to enter said recess in one disk, and said catch also V-shaped portion to enter the V- sha'pd notch ii'l the'other disk;

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN F. DOUTHITT.

shaft section, where- 

